Gas-turbine.



L0. 819,089. PATENTED MAY l, 1906d Ci W. SHOEMAKBR & J. M. LITHGOW.

lGAS TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1904.

e SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATENTED MAY 1,1906.

G. W. SHOEMAKBR & J. M. LITHGOW.

GAS TUBBINB.

AIPLIGATION FILED APR.14, 1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIGB- 1 y ToRS wlTNEssl-:s: i I No MW E; @J6/M? loi 89,089. PATENTED MAY l, 1906V C. W, SHOBMAKER L J. M. LITHGOW.

GAS TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14. 19044 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Fll'.

No. 819,089. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906. G. W. SHOEMAKBB. & J. M. LITHGOW.

GAS TURBINE.

10N FILED APR, 14, 1904 6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Q ma.

w -imi PATENTED MAY l, 1906. C. W. SHOEMAKER a J. M. LITHGOW.

GAS TURBINE.

d @en PATENTED MAY l, 1906. C. W. SHOEMAKER & J. M. LITHGOW.

GAS TURBINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APE.14, 1904.

6 SHEETS-SEEE .Y New WHTMESSES:

CHARLES WV. SHOEMAKER AND JOHN M. LITHGOW, OF ALLEGHENY,

PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed April 14,1904. Serial No. 203,186.

1'0 (LH whom/'it may concern:

Be it known that We, CHARLES W. SHOE- MAKER and JOHN M. LITHGOW, citizens of the United States, residing at Allegheny, in the county of .Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and usetul Improvements in Gas-Turbines, of which improvements the following is a speciication.

Our invention concerns the construction of turbine-engines adapted to be impelled by the explosive force of certain substances-for example, gasolene or naphtha; and the obj ect of our improvements is a structure ofthe character indicated which shall be of practical and economic value.

ln the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 are elevations of opposite sides of a turbineengine embodying ourimprovements. Fig. 3 is a plan view of it. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line IV IV, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic vertical section illustrating a modification whereby the turbine-engine is rendered reversible. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line Vl Vl, Figs. 1, 2, and 3. 7 is a similar section Jfurther illustrating the reversing modification. sectional view also illustrating thereversing modification, the plane of section being the same in Fig. 7, but viewed in opposite dir; ion. in Fig. 8 the valves are removed from the explosion-chamber, that the portal arrangement may be more clearly seen. Fig. 9 a view in detail of portion of what is shown in Fig. 4, the parts shown being in another operative position.

eierring to the drawings, the power-shaft oi' the turbine-engine is indicated at 1. Upon it are mounted suitable impact-surfaces which are adapted to receive the im act of the power-giving medium, and there y to cause the power-shaft to rotate. In the specific embodiment. illustrated these impact surfaces are the anterior inner walls of a series of pockets 4, arranged upon the periphery of a cylindrical drum 2, whici is concentrically vmounted noon the power-shaft 1 and contained within a case or shell 3, Within which the drum is adapted to rotate.

The (pockets 4 are Jformed, preferably, as indicate in Fig, 4, the posterior walls (posterior respecting the direction ofrotation, indi- Fig. 8 is a fragmentaryl cated by the arrow a) tapering gradually and, in effect, forming continuations of the inductionport, presently to be described, and the anterior walls forming abutmeuts of concave form, which receive tlie impact of the enterw ing stream of gas.

Through the case or shell are 'formed one or more induction-ports 5 and a corresponding number of exhaust-ports 6. The number ol'V these ports (and of the parts which through these induction-ports deliver their exploded and expanding gas) is not essential. lVe have in the drawings shown two- )airs of such induction and exhaust orts au two sets ol' coperatin(r parts. A single pair may be employed or t uee or more pairs, with preferably a corresponding number of coperatingparts. Each induction-port leads through the case or shell 3 angularlv to the radius thereof and angularly to the radius of the contained cylindrical drum 1. Euch exhaust-port leads through the case or shell to the place of discharge, (ordinarily the open air.) .he exhaustorts are ordinarily of greater' size than the in notion-ports, and the induction-ports and exhaust-ports are so spaced that no single pocket can be open to'an induction-port and an exhaust-port at one time.

Compression-chambers 7 and explosionw chambers 8 are provided. lu the former the gas or gases which by their explosion are to furnish the motive power are mixed (ordinarily with air) and compressed. Thcnee the compressed gas or gases pass into the explosion-chamber, where they are exploded, and 'from the explosioiuchamber the expanding gaseous products oi" explosion pass through the induction ports to impinge upon the walls of pockets 4, and thus to impel the power-shaft. W'e preferably arrange the compressi()1i-chambers and ezqilosion-chambers in corierating pairs and preferably employ a separate pair for each induction-port, as the drawings indicate. Our invention is not, as we regard it, limited to specific forms of compression and explosion chambers.

We have, however, illustrated our preferred specific forms. The walls of these two chambers may conveniently be made in a single casting and integral with the case or shell 3, as indicated at 9. Both chambers are preferably cylindrical in form and both are conveniently arranged with axes parallel with IOO fro

theaxis of the power-shaft. Any other desired shape or any other desired arrangement may of course be adopted.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, which shows these two chambers in section, it will' be seen that compression-chamber 7 is provided with a nuxing-chamber 10, commum- *eating with the compression-chamber pro er through a port controlled by a check-va ve 1 1. Gasolene or naphtha or other gas which by explosion is to furnish motive power ,is

supplied to chamber 10 through a suitable conduit 12, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) and airis supplied to the same chamber 1() through a i veniently cylindrical in form, adapted to it snugly within the explosion-chamber, capable of rotation therein, and provided with an oritice- 17, which registers with ports l and 5 in turn. Within explosion-chamber 8 may y be arranged terminals .18 and 19 of an electromay be employed.

f of this-disk is secured a strap 21, wit

- considered d Vamo circuit, between which a spark is .discharged when the explosion of the gas is desir-ede. Other means'of exploding may be em loyed, if desired.

t will be, Observed that chambers 'zaad s;4

are cylindrical inlformhthat the port 5, leading from the explosion-chamber 8 and which Jforms the induction-port to the drum,:is arranged to lead tangentially from chamber 8,

land that port 15, which leads from chamber 7 to chamber 8, is arranged tangentially'to both chambers. Such a shaping of parts is referable.

We vfind 1t desirable to operate :the compressingiston 14-and valvel as well from power-s 'aft .1. To this end any known means of transmittin the desired motions e shall describe our preferred construction.

. Refemngto ings.A 1 and s, it will be b-f served that upon power-shaft 1 a disk 20 is eriphery l which the disk 1s capable of rotation, and at4 propangularly mounted. About the' y-erly-spaeed intervals (proper with'respect to the number and location of compressionchambers) arms 22 extend. The stems of the compressing --pistons 14 are suitably mounted upon these arms. It Will be-'understood that as 'fth'e shaft. 2 rotates successive points aroundthe extentvof strap 21 travel to and iro in lines a proximately parallel with the axis of. the s aft, and'through suitable v mounting the.desired stroke is` 'iven to each piston-14 at the desired time.. eferringparticularly to Figs. 2, 3,: and 6, 1t beob- Com'- From explosion-chamber 8 Y served that each valve 16 is mounted for roe' tation upon an axial stem 23, which projects beyond the vvalve-chamber and carries a miter-gear 24. The arrangement is such that motlon is imparted to miter-gear 24 from a miter-gear 25 on power-shaft 1 through a radially-arran ed shaft 26, having miter-gears at either en ,which intermesh with gears 24 and 25. p

` The operationis as follows: The parts being in the positions indicated in Fig. 4, the compressing-piston in chamber 7 is retreating. As it recedes the explosive gas mingled with air which fills chamber 10 opens valve 11 and fills chamber 7. At the same time valve 18 opens and furnishes more air to mingle with the gas in chamber 10. Piston 14 then advances, valves 1.1 and 13 close, and the vaerated gas is compressed. As piston 14 alpproaches the limit of its advance stroke t e continued rotation of valve 16 brings orifice 17 to registerwith ort 15 Thereupon chamber 8 becomes .iil ed with the compressed aerated' explosive as. The advancing rotation of valve v16 t en closes port 15' and piston 14 recedes to repeat its art.

As valve 16 advances explosion is pro uced in chamber 8 by the discharge of an electric spark or otherwise. When, therefore, orifice 17 o ens ort 5, the highly expansive roducts o ex iosion rush through ort 5,

1m inge upon t e forward walls of poc ets 4, Y y

an drive the drum 2 and its power-shaft 1.

The continuedl rotation of valve 16 ultimat'elyclo'ses port 5 and the function of thel valve 1s then repeated. The 'pockets 4,

filled with the products -o explosion, come p in turn beneath exhaust V6, where any excess .of pressure of contained gas is relieved.

. As we have previously stated, any desired number of ports 5 may be employed, and, if

desired, a correspondin number OBXPIQ 4 sionchambers may bea ded.

In our referred construction wev provideV a'certain ooseness in the o erative connection between valve 16 an power-shaft 1,

that valve 16 may. have a limited move--V ment independent of the mechanism already vdescribed asv adapted to operate it.V This isillustrated at 32, Fig. 3,V Where' it appears that the stem 23 of valve 16 is provided with a notch intojwhich extends a tooth or detent ear-wheel 24; .but A Vthe width of the notch 1s greater than the* Width of the detent, and thus valve 16 while formed on the hub of beingrotated by means ofthe movement Off* ,shaft 1 and of the interposed gearingmay bg' proper impulse advance slightly beyond t e position to which this connection with the power-shaft would normally bring it. Such an impulse is given by the gas as itescapes throu hathe valveto Vthe :inductionport. Feature is partieularlyillustrated 1n Fig. 9'. Thevalve 16 is normally or primarily caused to rotate inthe directioni-ndiis? i IOO cated by the arrow b, and this rimary or no1"- mal rotation is effected throug the operative connection with the power-shaft already described. The anterior wall 'n of orifice 17 of this valve 16 is so formed that when the orifice begins to open and to uncover inductionport 5,('a position illustrated in Fig. 9) this wall n will receive the impact of gas rushing through the opening in the directionindicated by arrow c, and such impact will be effective to shift valve 16 forward in advance of its otherwise normal position, (such advance being provided for in the loose connection a1- ready described.) It will thus be seen that immediately upon the opening of valve 16 to the induction-port the valve is thrown to wide-open position and remains so until the continued rotation of the shaft and the movement of the interposed connection renew operative connection and carry the valve forward to closed position. (Shown in Figli.) A

Figs. 5, 7, and 8 illustrate a modification which provides for reversal of the powershaft when desired. These figures will, in view of the description already given, make plain this modification. The pockets upon the peripheral surface of the drum 2a do not extend throughout the length of the drum, but are formed in' two separate series at either side of the middle portion, which is unbroken and serves as a partition-wall between the two series of pockets. The pockets 4 of one series are op ositely directed to the pockets'4a of' the ot er series. This is indicated in Fig. 5. ports 5 and 5a are provided, ports 5 leading to pockets 4 and ports 5a leading to pockets 4a. The valve 16l within the explosionchamber is so formed as to divide it into two chambers 8L1 8a, each rovided with exploding mechanism, as in icated in Fig. '7.V By the rotation of valve 16a each portion Sa of the explosion-chamber is brought into communicationfirst with one arm ofthe branched or Y-shaped port 15a and then with its proper induction-port 5 or 5a. interposed between valve 16a and the chamber-wall 9 is a second valve 27, which is a reversing-valve. This valve, as we preferably construct it,` is cylindrical in form and is capable of a restricted rotary movement between valve 16a and chamber-wall 9. y It is provided with orifices 2Q 28, adapted (when in alternate positions) to register with one or the other of the two orifices of the Y-shaped port 15a, thus permitting access of compressed gas from compression-chamber 7 into une or the other of the explosion-chambers 8a. The (hawings show also other orifices 29 2W of valve 27. These orifices register with the inductionports 5 5a in turn, as orifices 2S 28a register with one or the other of the orifices of port 15a.

valve 27 do not obstruct ports 5 5a. The essential orifices are 28 and 28a.

Two sets of induction- It is only suiicient, however, that the products of explosion are delivered through orts 5, the shaft is driven in one direction. en thedelivery is through ports 5, the shaft is driven in the opposite direction. The position of this reversing-valve 27 is controlled by a lever 30, and when a lurality of explosion-chambers is employed t e series of levers`30 may be connected-by links and o erated by a single reversing-lever 31, as in kicated in Fig. 5.

Our invention in its broadest terms is not confined in application to the s ecific mechanism described, and according your claims are not limited thereto.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a gas-engine lthe combination, with a power-shaft and impixict-surfaces in operative connection therewith, of an explosion-chamber provided with an inlet port through `which gas is received and with a dischargeport through which the products of eXplosion are delivered to the impact surfaces, means for exploding gas in said eX losionchamber, and a valve arranged in sai eXplosion-chamber to move in uniform direction to open and close said inlet-port rior to explosion and to open and close sai dischargeport subse uent to explosion, substantialy as described.

2. In a gas-engine the combination, with a lpower-shaft and impact-surfaces in operative connection therewith, of a mixing-chamber wherein the gases to beexploded are mingled, a compression-chamber wherein the mingled gases are compressed, a valve-controlled port leading from said mixing-chamber to said compression chamber, an explosion cham- When the IOO ber, means for exploding the mingled and IOS tion to open and close the port from the compression-chamber prior to explosion and to open and close the port from the expiosionchamber subsequent to explosion, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-engine including in its structure a rotary power-shaft and a chamber wherein gas is compressed prior to explosion, the combination of means for compressing gas within said chamber, a disk angularly mounted on said power-shaft, and .operative connection between said disk and said compressing means, substantially as described.

4. In a gas-engine the combination with a power-shaft and means for driving said shaft, of an ecplosion-chamber provided withA a port through which the products of explosion are delivered to said driving means, a valve movable to control said port, means for normallymoving'said valve, safid valve-l moving means constructed to permit a limited independent movement thereof, and means operated on by the products of explosion for' shifting'said valve through a portion of its range of movement lin advance of its otherwise' normal `position, substantially as described. I l

5. In a' gas-engine provided with an explo.- sion-chamber and with a port leading therefrom through which the roducts of explosion are delivered to the riving mechanism,

the combination of a valve containing an or1- ice and mounted to rotate in said Achamber and in rotation to o en and close said port through its said o ce, means for rotating said valve, and. connection between said stantially as described.

valve and its operating means constructed to permit a limited movement of the valve independent ofits operating means, the anterior edge of the. orice .of said valve arranged to sustain the impact of the outiiowing products of explosion on'v the initial opening of means, substantially as. described.

between said disk and saidy compressing 7. In a gas-engine, thev combina-tion of ag rotatable power-shaft and cooperating im-l act-surfaces,` an explosion-chamber, a -port eading from the eXp osion-chamber through which the products of eXplosion'are directed against the. impact-'surfaces of the power- `vshaft, a compression-chamber' in operative connection with the explosion-chamber, a compression-piston movable within the compressionchamber7 Va `disk angularly mounted 'on the power-shaft, and connection between i the compression-piston and the disk whereby upon the rotation of the power-shaft the pistonis caused to move the compressionchamber, substantially as described.

8. In a turbine-engine, the combination of a rotatable power-shaft carrying peripheral impact surfaces, an explosion chamber, a

port leading' from the explosion-chamber throughwhich the products of explosion are directed against the impact-surfacea'acompression-chamber, a port leading yfrom the compression-chamber to the explosion-chamber, a valve controlling commumcatlon through said ports, means for'compressing gas wlthin the compression-chamber, means A operated bythe rotation of the power-shaft for shifting said valve to close both ports be- Jfore explosion and open them successively aftef explosion, and 4mechanism opel-ated by the rotation of the power-shaft to; operate the compressing means within the compressionchamber, vsubstantially as described.v

9. In a turbine-engine, the combination of a'rotatable power-shaft, two sets of oppo- -sitely arranged imp act surfaces carried by said power-shaft, two explosion-chambers,-

two oppositely-directed portsleading from said explosion-chambers through whlQh the products of explosion fromeach chamber are directed against one set of impact-surfaces, a

reversing-valve adapted to beshifted to close i either one ofsaid ports, 'a 'valve' adapted vto control communication from the explosionchambersthrough the orifices of the reversing-valve and through thesaidports, substantially as described. i

10. in a turbine-engine, the combination of a rotatable power-shaft carrying two sets of oppositely-arr'anged, impact-"surfaces," two eXplosion-chambers,`\I two` valve-controlled and oppositely-directed ports leading from theeXplosion-chambers and through which the products'of explosion are directed against the impact-surfaces', a compression-chamber,` communication from the compression-chamber to the explosion-chambers, and a reversing-Valve' Controlling communication-from" the compression-chamber to fthe several eX- plosion-c'hambers, substantially as desribed.

In testimony whereorl We have hereunto set ourhands.

CHARLES w. SHOEMAR. JOHN M. LITHGOW. Y Witnessesn i Y' F. E. GAITHER, Y F, KIRCHNER*A A 

